Joint Review – Rogue Rider by Larissa Ione

Publisher: Grand Central
Publish Date: November 20th
How we got this book: NetGalley

The prophecies were there but no one listened. Until now. They are the Lords of Deliverance and they have the power to ward off Doomsday . . . or let it ride.

Jillian Cardiff came to this remote mountain town to forget the demon attack that almost killed her. Instead, she rescues – and falls for – a gorgeous stranger who has no memory of anything other than his name. Handsome, charming and protective, Reseph seems like the kind of man that Jillian can trust. But with hints of a troubling history of his own, he’s also the kind of man that can be very dangerous . . .

Reseph may not know his background, or why he mysteriously appeared in Jillian’s life, but he knows he wants to stay. Yet when Jillian’s neighbours are killed and demon hunters arrive on the scene, Reseph fears that he’s putting Jillian in danger. And once it’s revealed that Reseph is also Pestilence, the Horseman responsible for ravaging the world with death and destruction, he and Jillian must face the greatest challenge of all: can they forget the horrors of a chilling past to save the future they both desire?
*Blurb from Goodreads*

Has: This is book four in the Lord of Deliverance series and Reseph’s story has been long coming, especially with all the damage, death and carnage he has caused in the previous books when his seal broke while he became the evil Pestilence. I was curious to see how Larissa Ione would be able to redeem Reseph especially since he had done so many unforgivable things but she did a perfect job, without glossing over the emotional and psychological aftermath.

Rogue Rider was a much more quieter toned book, without the big heavy epic feel of the previous books and I liked that because it really focused on the romance, between Jillian and Reseph which was much more subtle and sweeter although not toned down in the sexual tension department. Jillian, also has a tormented past, and is recovering from a demon attack which has scarred her body and soul.

MinnChica: I’ve loved the Lords of Deliverance series, and couldn’t wait to see how the story with Reseph would be handled, especially given all the horrible and nasty things he did as Pestilence. I agree with Has in that this book was a lot more subdued, and the fact that so much of the time was spent focusing on Reseph and Jillian building trust in each other and a romantic foundation made the book all the more enjoyable for me. And the fact that Reseph, once he got back his memories of Pestilence, was so distraught over what he did, it worked for me. It helped him redeem himself in my eyes, and made me love his character that much more!

Has: Exactly! And I think that needed to happen because so much destruction and heartache had happened that he really needed that time to re-discover himself because he lost his sense of himself as Pestilence. So I am glad it was not glossed over and that his time with Jillian was a buffer and in some ways a shield to his memories and guilt on what he had done. I also liked there were real repercussions and bad feelings remain with his siblings and that distrust felt realistic.

But I adored the romance between him and Jillian, I think out of the Lord of Deliverance series, this was my favourite because it was primarily about them instead of trying to save the world along with the the twists and turns of the Aegis power struggle which was great. But I think this needed a more reflective and slower pace because the previous books were so fast paced it was to take note on how much has happened.

Although saying that, I did enjoy the climactic events in the book, which tied up all the plot threads from the previous books and I liked how things played out, especially with the Aegis, and the aftermath of the war with Reseph and the demons. But what blew me away was the revelation about Reaver – Oh.My.Gawd I did not see that happen and I want his book NOW!

MinnChica: I was so glad that Ione ended it the way she did. I would have been disappointed if everything went back to perfect with Reseph and his brothers and sister. I liked that there was still a lot of tension and distrust and space, yet also a feeling that things could work. That the bridges Pestilence burned could be re-built. But like Has, the romance was really the main focal point of this story, and my favorite of possibly ALL Ione’s books to date, at least in the romance department. I also loved how much the story moved forward. I can’t wait to see what happens with Reaver, especially since I’m 99.9% sure I know who his heroine will be – and boy did I not really see that one coming!! There were just a lot of really great aspects to this book! I think it might be the strongest of the series!

Has: I got the same feeling too and I think there were some tantalizing hints on who she is and what her real role is to that major twist because of a certain scene in the book. Rogue Rider has closed a major story arc but the characters and plot threads still hint there is a lot more to come in the series overall, and I love the potential new story threads. Because for me, this is one of the best paranormal series and it still remains fresh and engaging and I love the new developments and twists that manages to surprise me.

Rogue Rider for me was a fabulous entry in the series and was a fitting end in the current story arc. Larissa Ione hasn’t failed to disappoint me yet and I think this book has become a favourite of mine because the romance, was sweet and tender and I loved how it helped to heal their damaged pasts.

I give Rogue Rider a B+

MinnChica: One of the things I love most about Ione’s writing is that she is constantly wrapping up plot threads and leaving little hints for new ones. The writing is always engaging, and the overall story arc continues to shift and move, regardless if she is writing a Demonica book, or a Lords of Deliverance book. I was worried about how this series would spin-off, and I am so glad it went the direction it did, because I absolutely fell in love with the characters and the overall progression of the world. I can’t wait to see what tricks she has up her sleeve for the next series!!

All in all I loved this book – Reseph and Jillian were so great together, especially their time in the beginning of the book, and as she helped him deal with Pestilence’s memories. I thought Ione really connected with her romance roots and created a wonderful love story between these two, especially all while continuing to build one of the best worlds in paranormal romance right now. This is definitely my favorite book of the series, and I’m anxious to see what is in store for us next!
I give Rogue Rider an A-

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About MinnChica

MinnChica can usually be found with her nose in a book (or nook), and can ALWAYS find a few minutes to read: stuck at a red light, sitting in the doctors office, on her lunch break. She's so addicted to reading that her family frequently threatens to host an intervention. Currently MinnChica is devouring every romance book she can get her hands on, especially ones that feature 'friends to lovers' stories. Some of her favorite authors currently are Ilona Andrews, Jill Myles, Meljean Brook, Nalini Singh and Susan Mallery.

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